ISRO’s PSLV-C61 Mission Fails to Place EOS-09 Satellite into Orbit in Rare Setback

World

In an uncommon setback for India’s highly regarded space programme, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced that it was unable to place the EOS-09 Earth observation satellite into its intended orbit after a technical issue with the PSLV-C61 launch vehicle.

The satellite was launched on Sunday morning from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. However, during the mission's third stage, a drop in chamber pressure was detected, leading to the failure to complete the mission.

The PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) has been a workhorse for ISRO, celebrated for its reliability and cost-effectiveness in satellite deployments. Sunday’s failure marks only the third setback in PSLV’s history, the first occurring in 1993.

A Failure Analysis Committee is expected to be formed to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident and identify the root cause.

Despite the failure, ISRO maintains a stellar track record, having launched satellites for India and multiple international clients. It gained global recognition in 2014 with its Mars Orbiter Mission, and in August 2023, India became the fourth nation to land on the Moon with a successful unmanned mission.

ISRO has been on an ambitious trajectory, with plans for more interplanetary missions, human spaceflight, and expanded commercial launch services. Sunday’s incident is unlikely to slow down the agency’s long-term aspirations but does highlight the challenges inherent in space exploration.